


won't you stay with me, my darling

by sunmoonturtleduck



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Canonical Child Abuse, Drabble, F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Post-Canon, Probably some angst too...we'll see, ZK Drabble December 2020
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 6,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27824845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunmoonturtleduck/pseuds/sunmoonturtleduck
Summary: Brief glimpses into Zuko and Katara's life together after the war.(This is a collection of drabbles, ficlets, and oneshots inspired by the ZK Drabble December 2020 prompts. They don't follow a single storyline and aren't necessarily in chronological order, but they all take place in the same post-canon universe.)
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 93
Collections: ZK Drabble December 2020





	1. Nightfall

**Author's Note:**

> At long last, my first Zutara fic. I'll try my best to write for every prompt, but I might end up missing a couple days due to my crazy schedule. Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated.
> 
> Title is from "Curses" by the Crane Wives.

In the light of the moon, he sees her. She stands on the beach, the ocean lapping at her heels. She’s still, peaceful. He knows she won’t be for long. He waits.

Slowly, she lifts her arms, raising them up to meet the moon. The water follows them silently, rising from the sea in a clear, calm stream. She moves her arms in swift, practiced movements. The water swirls around her, catching the moonlight as it does, surrounding her in droplets of silver light. She begins to spin, and the water spins with her, rising higher and higher until it encases her completely. She stops. The water stands still, hovering around her, waiting for her command. Watching from the shore, he sees her shoulders rise as she breathes in, then fall as she exhales. He smiles. The water around her slowly freezes into ice.

This is always his favorite part of her bending practices: the last moment of stillness just before she breaks. Through the wall of ice around her, she looks deceptively peaceful, but he notices the way her hands tremble as she clenches them into fists. For all the tranquility of her water, she has nothing but fire under her skin.

Her fists tighten and he hears the ice begin to crack before it crumbles around her. Without hesitation, she steps forward, feet firmly planted in the sand, and lifts her arms in one broad motion. The water around her rises swiftly, climbing higher and higher until it forms one massive wave, big enough to obscure the moon itself. He watches in awe, head tilting back to take in the sheer height of it. 

She holds her position for longer than he would have thought possible. Her form is unwavering and the water around her stays absolutely still, entirely at her mercy. Finally, she releases it, bringing her arms back down to her sides. The water returns to the ocean with a thunderous crash, and the residual wave that follows leaves her soaked up to her waist. When the tide calms, she looks at the ocean, then up at the moon, and bows before turning away.

It’s then that she sees him, standing at the edge of the beach, watching her with a small, gentle smile. She returns it. 

“Like what you see?” she calls across the shore.

“Always,” he says.


	2. Please Don't Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time she tells him, he doesn't believe her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, it's already angsty. Sorry! (I'm not sorry)

The first time she tells him, he doesn’t believe her.

She says it when she doesn’t think he can hear, when he’s still drifting in and out of consciousness in the aftermath of the lightning strike. She isn’t quite sure what makes her say it. Perhaps it’s because she’s still reeling from the agni kai. Perhaps it’s because he looks so serious, so morose, even in sleep. Or perhaps it’s because she’s already come dangerously close to losing him once, and she can’t bear the thought of losing him again.

She sits at his bedside, watching him, guarding him. Her fingers gently trace the bandages around his chest. She can feel the steady beat of his heart under her hand as she whispers softly, “I love you, Zuko.”

His eyelids flutter open, ever so slightly, and she draws back in surprise. Heat rises in her cheeks as his gaze meets hers, tired and beaten but still bright as ever. His lip quirks up in a strained smile. “You’re lying,” he says, his voice hoarse and labored.

“What?” she asks, but before she has time to protest, he’s already closed his eyes again.

\--

She watches him from the bed, her brow creased in concern. He hasn’t stopped pacing, hasn’t even looked in her direction since she told him the news. The sound of his footsteps crossing back and forth across the floor is starting to give her a headache.

“Please come to bed,” she says at last. “We can talk about it in the morning.”

He stops pacing, looking up at her as though he had forgotten she was in the room. “What? Oh, yes,” he says distractedly. His gaze drops down to her abdomen. “I just…”

She sighs, rising from the bed and crossing over to him. She brings a hand up to brush across his scar, her thumb caressing his lip. “I shouldn’t have told you tonight,” she says. “I should have waited. I should have known it would make you upset.”

His eyes widen. “Upset?” he asks. “Why would you think I’m upset?”

“Well, you’ve been pacing for almost an hour without saying a word so I—”

He cuts her off by pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’m not upset,” he says, drawing comforting circles across her back. “I’m just afraid.”

She doesn’t quite know how to respond. She pushes away, stepping back to look at his concerned face. “You’re not going to be anything like your father, you know that, right?”

He bites his lip, looking down at the floor. “I don’t,” he says. “I don’t know. My father wasn’t always a terrible parent, there were times when we were happy. He used to be just like me, before—”

“ _Zuko_ ,” Katara says, stopping him. “You are _nothing_ like him. If you were going to end up like your father, you would have done so already. You’ve been Firelord for seven years, you’ve had ample opportunity to abuse your power. But you haven’t. And you won’t.” She holds out a hand to him. “Now, let’s go to bed and talk about this in the morning.”

After a moment, he nods, smiling slightly as he takes her hand and lets her lead him back to their bed. He rests his head on the pillow, watching her pull the covers up over her shoulders. She catches him staring. “What?” she asks, settling in beside him.

“You’re going to be a great mother,” he says. “That I am sure of, at least.”

She smiles, leaning in to kiss him gently on his forehead. “I love you, Zuko,” she says.

He pulls her closer, burying his head in her hair. This time, he knows she’s not lying.


	3. Heavy Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When her father first wrote to her about Gran-Gran’s sickness, he said it was just a cough. He said it was nothing to worry about. He said she’d probably be better in a week or two. Katara shouldn’t have listened. She should have left as soon as she received the first letter, should have insisted on bringing the best healers back to the South Pole with her, should have been by her grandmother’s side. But she didn’t, and she wasn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect things to get this angsty this quickly, but here we are. Warning: this chapter deals with death and grieving.

Katara rests her head against a pillow of snow, huddling deeper into her parka. The air is cold and clean, a stark difference to the hot humidity of the Fire Nation. She’s missed it here. She’s missed being able to breathe like this. She’s missed the long, dark days of winter, when the sun barely peeks over the horizon for more than an hour or two at a time. She’s missed feeling the pull of water and ice and snow all around her, wherever she goes. She feels safe, surrounded by her element, surrounded by her family.

Well, most of her family.

When her father first wrote to her about Gran-Gran’s sickness, he said it was just a cough. He said it was nothing to worry about. He said she’d probably be better in a week or two. Katara shouldn’t have listened. She should have left as soon as she received the first letter, should have insisted on bringing the best healers back to the South Pole with her, should have been by her grandmother’s side. But she didn’t, and she wasn’t.

She hears his footsteps before she sees him, slowly approaching her with a small flame in his hand. It’s as good as he can muster without the power of the sun to help him, and it only casts a faint, flickering light. He stops a couple feet beside her. “Can I sit?” he asks.

She nods. Zuko sits down beside her, extinguishing the flame in his hand as he rests back against the snow. “They’ve all gone to bed,” he says. “But I couldn’t sleep. I needed to make sure you were okay.”

She huffs. “I’m fine,” she says, scowling. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I will anyway,” he says, and when she turns to look at him she sees a small smile on his lips. It fades quickly. “I’m sorry, I just—I don’t really know what to say in situations like these.”

She nods, turning away from him again. She rests her head back down on the ground and looks up at the stars. “Let’s not say anything,” she says.

He nods, laying down beside her. She studies the stars, tracing constellations with her eyes. She doesn’t look away until she feels his hand, warm and sure, close around hers. She turns to him with a smile, squeezing his hand tightly, then leans in to rest against his shoulder.

They spend the night like that, their unspoken words lost in the stars.


	4. Blame It On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Something interesting happened during my meeting with the Northern Water Tribe representatives.”
> 
> “What’s that?”
> 
> “A turtleduck walked across the table.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a day late with this one, but hey, better late than never, right?
> 
> Here's a little fluff after a couple heavy chapters.

Katara finds him in his study, hunched over his desk. His brow is furrowed in concentration as he reviews a hefty stack of paperwork.

“Zuko?”

He barely looks up at the sound of her voice. “Yes?” 

“Something interesting happened during my meeting with the Northern Water Tribe representatives.”

“What’s that?”

“A turtleduck walked across the table.”

Zuko looks up suddenly, the work on his desk forgotten. “What?”

“It seemed a little confused, being so far away from the pond.” Katara raises her eyebrows at him, folding her arms across her chest. “It even bit poor Chief Arnook in the thumb. Care to explain?”

“Uh…what makes you think I had anything to do with it?” Zuko asks, biting his lip and looking off to the side with obvious guilt. 

Katara rolls her eyes. “Let’s just say I know my husband. Come on, out with it. What happened?”

Zuko sighs. “Alright, fine,” he says. “I _may_ have given Kya permission to waterbend the pond.” At the sight of Katara’s quickly darkening expression, he backpedals. “I didn’t realize she meant the turtleduck pond! I thought she meant the other one, the one in the courtyard! I scolded her as soon as I found out.”

“Hm,” Katara says, trying to decide if she’s more angry or amused. “And what happened to the turtleducks?”

“Well, they scattered everywhere, of course,” Zuko says. “But we tracked them all down and put them back. Or, most of them, at least. That one in your meeting was probably the last one.”

“Well, you’d better hope that—”

_Quack!_

Zuko and Katara both freeze, looking first at each other and then around the room. “Where is it?” Zuko whispers.

“It sounded like it was coming from your desk.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Zuko slides open the top drawer, revealing a slightly annoyed-looking baby turtleduck. _Quack!_ It says again.

“How did you get in here?” Zuko asks, gently picking up the creature. He cups his hands around it protectively before rising and turning to Katara.

“So, that one in my meeting was the last one, huh?” she asks, her lip curving into a smug grin.

He huffs, stomping out of the room in response.


	5. Little Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In all these things he sees little pieces of what came before, and finds glimpses of what’s to come.

He sees them in his daughter’s eyes. He sees them in his son’s smile. He sees them in Katara’s quiet anger. He sees them in the dark circles under his own eyes. He sees them in the too-infrequent letters he receives from Aang and Toph. He sees them in Sokka and Suki’s yearly visits. He sees them when he watches his children sparring in the garden, when his daughter’s water meets his son’s flames.

In all these things he sees little pieces of what came before, and finds glimpses of what’s to come.

He thinks of the world he was born into, with all the perpetual violence and bloodshed that marked his childhood. He thinks of the necklace around Katara’s neck. He thinks of the scars he knows will never be healed.

And then he thinks of his children. He thinks of how that old world, the one filled with destruction and war, is one that’s foreign to them. He thinks of the new world he’s helped build, the world him and Katara have spent years fighting for.

He hopes this world is one that will be kind to them.


	6. Are You Lonely?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an hour of fruitless searching, she leans against the wall of the palace hallway in defeat, glaring down at the tray of water, cups, and tea leaves in her hands. What was she thinking? What was her plan here? Find Zuko, give him some tea, and then what? Confess her feelings for him? This is stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I already said in the description that these drabbles/ficlets aren't in chronological order, but since the last few chapters have been focused on Zuko and Katara's married life, I thought it was important to specify the timeline for this one. This ficlet takes place a few years after the war, before Zuko and Katara have gotten together.

It takes her a while to find him. She has to ask three different servants, his personal valet, and finally, his uncle. They all point her in the wrong directions. She finds his chambers and his study empty. No one’s seen him since dinner. 

After an hour of fruitless searching, she leans against the wall of the palace hallway in defeat, glaring down at the tray of water, cups, and tea leaves in her hands. What was she thinking? What was her plan here? Find Zuko, give him some tea, and then what? Confess her feelings for him? This is stupid. Even if she finds him, she’s going to look desperate and pathetic. She should just go back to her room and—

“Hey.”

Katara jumps at the voice, nearly dropping the tray in the process. She turns quickly to find Mai staring at her with unreadable eyes. “Oh, uh, hi,” Katara says.

“What are you doing out here? I thought everyone was in bed.”

“I could ask you the same question.”

Mai sighs. “I’m looking for someone,” she says.

“Oh.” Katara can’t help the sinking feeling in her chest. “So am I, I guess. Or I was.”

Mai glances down at the tray in Katara’s hands. “I see,” she says, and Katara can hear the slightest hint of amusement in her voice. “Who’s your lucky tea-drinking companion?”

Katara flushes. “Um…No one. It’s nothing.”

“Really?” Mai asks. She watches Katara thoughtfully for a moment before sighing once again. “I guess I should get going,” she says, starting to walk away. She stops next to Katara, searching her face once more before leaning in slightly to speak into her ear. “He’s by that silly turtleduck pond.”

Katara’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “But I—I thought you—” Mai’s lips quirk up in the smallest of smiles as she continues down the hall, seemingly amused by Katara’s flustered state. She stops a couple doors down, her hand reaching to open it. “Wait,” Katara says, and Mai pauses. “Isn’t that…Ty Lee’s room?”

Mai glances at Katara, then the door, then back at Katara again. Her small, almost indiscernible smile returns. “I’ll see you in the morning, Katara,” she says, pushing the door open and disappearing behind it.

Katara stands gaping in the hallway, her mission of finding Zuko temporarily forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I had to sneak some Mailee in here.
> 
> Tomorrow's chapter will pick up where this one left off!


	7. Caught in the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He’s sitting by the turtleduck pond, just like Mai said. From where Katara stands in the garden, he looks peaceful, almost meditative. He sits up straight and tall, his long black hair illuminated by the light of the full moon. Katara pauses before approaching, glancing down nervously at the tray of tea in her hands. The water has almost certainly gone cold by now, after all that time she spent searching for him. But this was never really about tea, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Get ready for some fluff!

He’s sitting by the turtleduck pond, just like Mai said. From where Katara stands in the garden, he looks peaceful, almost meditative. He sits up straight and tall, his long black hair illuminated by the light of the full moon. Katara pauses before approaching, glancing down nervously at the tray of tea in her hands. The water has almost certainly gone cold by now, after all that time she spent searching for him. But this was never really about tea, anyway.

Ignoring the pounding of her heart and the shaking of her hands, Katara steps forward. Her usually sure feet are hesitant as they move across the ground. She clears her throat, stopping a couple feet away from him. He turns, eyes widened in surprise, then smiles. “Hey,” she says. She immediately curses her voice for sounding so high and nervous.

“Hey,” Zuko says. “What is it?”

“I, uh…” Katara looks down at him, his golden eyes burning into her own, and quickly returns her gaze to her tea tray instead. “I thought you might like some tea. I know it’s been a stressful couple days so I just thought…” She trails off, sighing. “Nevermind. The water’s gone cold, anyway.”

She turns to leave, an embarrassed flush rising to her cheeks. “Wait,” Zuko calls after her. She stops and turns. He gestures to the spot next to him on the ground. “I’d love some.”

Katara smiles as she walks back to him, resting the tray on the ground before sitting down beside him. “Cold water isn’t a problem for me,” he continues, reaching for the teapot. He holds it in both hands, takes a deep breath, then exhales. Within seconds, steam rises from the spout. “See?”

Katara scoffs. “Don’t look so smug,” she says. 

He chuckles, gathering the tea leaves and holding them out to inspect them. “Jasmine, huh? My uncle’s favorite.”

“Mine too,” Katara says.

He pours water into both cups and begins to prepare the tea. Katara holds out a hand to stop him. “You don’t have to do that,” she says. “I’m perfectly capable of making my own cup.”

“Trust me, I know,” Zuko says. “You’re perfectly capable of just about anything.” She looks away, turning her focus to the family of turtleducks to hide her smile. “But I like making tea. It reminds me of my uncle. He’s the one who taught me.” 

Katara laughs. 

“What?” he asks.

“It’s nothing, it’s just…” she turns back to him, grinning. “Sometimes I forget that you used to work in a tea shop.”

He shakes his head, chuckling. “Well, I—” he stops, looking up at her. “Wait. How did you know that?”

“I saw you,” Katara says. “Back in Ba Sing Se. I saw a new tea shop and thought I’d stop in for a cup. But as soon as I walked in, I saw you, walking around and cheerfully taking people’s orders.”

“‘Cheerfully?’ That couldn’t have been me.”

“It was you.”

He looks up at her again, and this time Katara isn’t tempted to look away. “What did you do?” he asks.

“I ran, of course,” she says. “I needed to warn the others.”

Zuko looks down, away from her. They sit in silence for a few moments.

“I wonder what would have happened…” Zuko starts. “I wonder what would have happened if we could have just been kids back then. If there was no war. If I had just been a tea server and you had just been a nice girl who lived down the street.”

“I wouldn’t have run,” Katara says. “I would have walked in and taken a table.”

Zuko smiles. He hands her a cup of the now fully-brewed tea. “I would have asked you for your order.”

“I would have ordered jasmine,” Katara says. She takes a sip of the tea. “It’s my favorite.”

Zuko takes a sip of his own cup. “I would have said ‘good choice’ and told you it’s my uncle’s favorite, too.”

Katara leans closer to him, smiling teasingly. “Would you have gone back to the kitchen and made my cup special for me?”

“Maybe,” he says, leaning in as well. “But I’d expect some extra tips if I did that.”

“I might be willing to give an extra bronze piece,” Katara says.

“Just a bronze piece?”

“Maybe a silver.”

Their noses are almost touching now, and Katara can feel her pulse quicken at the sight of Zuko’s gaze darting down to her lips. “What would I have to do to earn a gold?” he asks.

In response, she closes the distance between them, capturing his lips with her own.


	8. Tiny Shivers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some nights, he sees his own ragged, tired face in the mirror and thinks his father was right all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short, angsty chapter for yesterday's prompt.

His nation thinks he’s strong. Stories of his bravery and persistence spread throughout the world. Parents name their children after him. Every year, there’s another play about how he courageously joined the Avatar and saved the world from tyranny.

But his father’s voice still rests in the back of his mind, relentless and cruel. _You’re weak,_ it says. _A failure. A disgrace. They’re all going to betray you. Your reign will end as quickly as it began._

Some nights, he can’t help but listen. Some nights, he sees his own ragged, tired face in the mirror and thinks his father was right all along.

On those nights, he sleeps restlessly, plagued by nightmares that never seem to end. He’s drowning, he’s aflame, he’s surrounded, he’s alone. The dreams are always different, but the result is the same: him, waking up hours before dawn, heart pounding and skin coated in a sheen of cold sweat.

For the first few years after the war, he woke alone, nothing but the imposing red tapestry on his wall to comfort him. But now, he wakes to her.

She never asks him what his nightmares are about. She simply wraps her arms around his chest, her touch sending shivers down his spine, and squeezes tight. He understands her perfectly, even though, unlike the voice in his head, Katara is silent.

He finds the silence welcome.


	9. Featherlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looks down at her, searching her eyes, trying to find traces of the familiar rage he’s seen so many times during their fights. Instead, he only finds warmth.
> 
> It terrifies him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be honest, I really wasn't feeling yesterday's prompt ("lock and key"). I had a few ideas, but none of them really went anywhere, so I just decided to skip it. I might come back and write something for it later.
> 
> This chapter got way darker than I was expecting! So, just a warning, the first part of this chapter contains non-detailed descriptions of Zuko's agni kai with Ozai.
> 
> Also, I know the tags/description say "post-canon," but this chapter is composed of two flashbacks that take place during the canon timeline.

The air hangs heavy, the overwhelming scent of incense and smoke causing his head to spin. He can hear the cheering of the crowd, but their noise is distant, a faded buzzing in his ears. He digs his palms into the ground to hide the shaking of his hands, but his body still trembles all over. Slowly, he raises his head. The man he sees looming above him looks like a stranger.

Zuko has always been intimidated by his father, always trailed in his domineering shadow. But this is different. This isn’t his normal intimidation. This is real.

His gaze is fixed on his father’s face, pleading, begging, searching for mercy. He tries to find something familiar in his cold gaze, but fails. He opens his mouth to ask for forgiveness one more time.

The words die in his lungs as his world explodes in a blinding flash of light and pain, a scream tearing through his throat in their place.

\--

It’s quiet. Too quiet. He can hear the rise and fall of her every breath as she moves closer.

He looks down at the vial she holds in front of her. The water looks different, more pure. Maybe she’s right. Maybe this will work.

He looks down at her, searching her eyes, trying to find traces of the familiar rage he’s seen so many times during their fights. Instead, he only finds warmth.

It terrifies him.

He closes his eyes and holds his breath, hoping she can’t see just how much he’s trembling. He hears her move even closer, feels the hem of her dress brush against his feet. 

And then he feels her palm on his scar, her thumb on his lip. Her touch is featherlight. She searches the ragged edges of his scar with neither malice nor pity. Her touch is everything he did not expect. This girl is being gentle with him, even after all he’s done to wrong her. 

He opens his mouth to ask for her forgiveness.

The words die in his lungs as the wall explodes beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ozai and Katara parallels are so interesting to me. I sometimes see antis using them as evidence for Zutara being "unhealthy," but I don't think that's what they're about at all. I might just write a meta about it sometime, we'll see...


	10. Falling With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara leans in, eyes narrowing. “Fine, then,” she says. “You leave me with no choice, Fire Lord.” She pauses, smirking, before she continues. “You owe me. I beat you at pai sho yesterday, remember? Three times, actually. I believe the winner gets to call in a favor of their choosing.”
> 
> “And this is what you want to use your favor on?”
> 
> “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some South Pole fluff for you all.

“No. Absolutely not. Under no circumstances. Never.”

“Come on, Zuko. It’ll be fun!”

“Did you hear anything I just said?”

“Zuko.” Katara folds her arms across her chest, fixing him with a stern glare. “All I’m asking for is, at most, ten minutes out of your life. Ten _very fun_ minutes, I might add.”

He mirrors her, folding his arms across his own chest and tilting his chin up indignantly. “The answer is still no.”

Katara leans in, eyes narrowing. “Fine, then,” she says. “You leave me with no choice, Fire Lord.” She pauses, smirking, before she continues. “You owe me. I beat you at pai sho yesterday, remember? Three times, actually. I believe the winner gets to call in a favor of their choosing.”

“And this is what you want to use your favor on?”

“Yes.”

He groans, bringing his hand up to his temple. “Alright, fine,” he says. He takes a deep breath, straightens up, and looks her in the eye. “I will go penguin sledding with you.”

\--

This was a mistake. He should _not_ have agreed to this. The wind is fierce and relentless, causing his long black hair to whip wildly around him. The hood of his parka has blown off his head, leaving his face and ears exposed to the bitter South Pole chill. He sees trees and snowbanks fly past him in a dizzying blur. He holds onto the penguin as tight as he can, trying to focus on the rapidly-approaching base of the hill.

“See, Zuko? Isn’t this fun?” Katara calls out beside him. 

Zuko doesn’t respond, only grits his teeth and concentrates on not falling off the penguin beneath him.

He isn’t successful.

The penguin hits a patch of ice and skids off-course, tossing Zuko from its back in the process. His carefully-contained composure shatters, and he shouts as he crashes into the snow. The hill is far too steep for him to land gracefully, and he tumbles down head over foot.

“Zuko!” 

Katara leaps off her own penguin and glides down beside him, waterbending the snow around her to maintain her balance. She reaches out to grasp his hand. Unfortunately, even her powerful bending isn’t enough to counteract the velocity of an indignant Fire Lord falling down a snow-covered mountain, and she falls down alongside him as soon as his hand meets hers. He holds her tight and she clings to his shoulders as they tumble through the snow together.

At long last, they crash into a snowbank at the base of the hill, breathless and dizzy. They’re still clinging to each other, Katara’s head resting against his chest, even though the worst of the danger has passed. “Are you alright?” Zuko asks.

Katara nods. “Yeah,” she says. “Are you?”

“I’m great,” Zuko says. “I mean, I was right. This _was_ a terrible idea.”

She pushes away from him. “Hey! Don’t blame me for your awful penguin-steering skills.”

“It’s not like you were doing much better up there.”

“Shut up.”

He smiles, looking up at her. He brushes a mitten-covered hand through her windswept hair. “You look so adorable when you’re annoyed,” he says.

“I thought I told you to shut up,” she says, grinning as she leans down and presses her lips to his.


	11. Living Proof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After he teased her for sleeping in and she cursed him for being an insufferable morning person, he moved to help her up out of bed. She tried to bat him away, insisting she didn’t need any assistance (just as she had every morning the past month), but Zuko refused to leave her. He couldn’t help it; when it came to Katara’s health, it was his nature to worry. And besides, as he reminded her every time she protested, she wouldn’t have to deal with his constant hovering much longer. The baby was due any day now.
> 
> Neither of them knew yet, however, that “any day now” meant today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for my absence, I just needed a little break. I'm back now, and I'm going to try my best to get caught up with the prompts.
> 
> Here's some steambaby fluff for you all, featuring Zuko's parental panic.

The day started out normal enough. He woke up early, went out to the courtyard, and ran through his firebending forms like he always does. By the time he returned to his chambers to change into his Firelord regalia, Katara was just starting to stir, sitting up in bed and blinking blearily at him. After he teased her for sleeping in and she cursed him for being an insufferable morning person, he moved to help her up out of bed. She tried to bat him away, insisting she didn’t need any assistance (just as she had every morning the past month), but Zuko refused to leave her. He couldn’t help it; when it came to Katara’s health, it was his nature to worry. And besides, as he reminded her every time she protested, she wouldn’t have to deal with his constant hovering much longer. The baby was due any day now.

Neither of them knew yet, however, that “any day now” meant _today_.

He’d been in the middle of a meeting with his council when his valet interrupted with the news that the palace midwife had been summoned to Katara’s chambers. Zuko rushed from the room without thinking, without bothering to excuse himself. It suddenly felt like he was in battle again. He felt that same rush, that same thrill of excitement, that same stomach-dropping fear. 

Nothing that happened in the following six hours felt entirely real.

But now, Katara sits propped against a pile of pillows, their daughter swaddled in her arms. He gazes down at them both, not knowing what to say. It feels as though his legs and his arms have suddenly gone numb. The baby looking up at him with wide, wondering eyes looks so fragile, and he’s too afraid to reach out, too afraid to touch her, for fear that she’ll break apart.

Katara turns to look at him, her eyes exhausted but warm. “Do you want to hold her?” she asks.

“I…uh…” He clenches his hands into fists, then relaxes them. He straightens up and takes a deep breath, furrowing his brow in concentration. “Yes. I’m ready.”

“You’re acting like you’re preparing for a fight,” she says, chuckling. “Relax. You’re just holding your daughter.”

His heart skips at that. His _daughter_. He has a daughter. He’s a father now. 

“I know, I know,” he says, trying to ignore the nervous churning of his stomach as he reaches out.

Katara places the baby in Zuko’s arms, gently resting her against his chest. For a moment, everything in his world stops. His daughter’s impossibly wide, curious eyes search him. Her tiny fingers grasp at his shirt, then at his hair. His arms begin to shake and he’s acutely, painfully aware of the fragility of the little life in his arms. 

“Well?” Katara asks. “What do you think?”

Zuko’s temporarily lost the ability to form words. _What does he think?_ He thinks that he’ll never understand his father, not after this. The thought of harming the child blinking up at him in wonder is so wrong, so repulsive, that his mind refuses to even consider it. He thinks that he has no idea what he’s doing, but he’s glad he’s doing it with Katara at his side. He thinks that maybe he’s been wrong all this time—maybe he _was_ born lucky. It’s hard not to feel like the recipient of good luck, after all, when the living proof rests peacefully in his arms.


	12. Spine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It all starts with good form,” Katara says. She plants her feet firmly on the ground, holding her arms above the pond in front of her. The young girl standing beside her watches with rapt attention. “Like so. You need to stay strong, but flexible. You need to give the water a clear path to follow, or else you will lose control of it.”

“It all starts with good form,” Katara says. She plants her feet firmly on the ground, holding her arms above the pond in front of her. The young girl standing beside her watches with rapt attention. “Like so. You need to stay strong, but flexible. You need to give the water a clear path to follow, or else you will lose control of it.”

Katara raises her arms and a gentle stream of water rises up from the pond. It follows her movements as she traces a smooth, circular path through the courtyard, around the trees, and beside the girl. After a few moments, she brings her hands back to their starting position, and the water crashes down into the pond. “See, Kya?” Katara says, turning to the girl. “If my posture wasn’t right, the water would have slipped away, like this.” She raises one hand in a flimsy, haphazard move, and the water in the pond barely ripples in response. “Are you ready to try it?”

Kya nods, turning to the pond. She imitates her mother’s stance, stomping her foot on the ground and holding her arms above the water. She looks down at the pond with a stern focus that makes her look so much like her father. She takes in a deep breath, then raises her arms. The water rises from the pond, shaking tentatively as it follows her movements. Kya swings her arms quickly—too quickly—to the side, and the water rushes forward in a messy, uncontrolled wave. It falls, soaking Kya in the process, then retreats back to the pond. Kya shouts angrily, stomping in frustration. “Why can’t I do it?” she says. “I did everything you did!”

Katara smiles, stepping in front of her daughter. “You just need practice,” she says. She waterbends the water out of Kya’s soaked clothes with a gentle flick of her wrist. “You’ll get better, I promise. When I was your age, I couldn’t even do that.”

“Really?” Kya asks, her blue eyes brightening.

Katara nods. “Really,” she says. “Now, straighten up, take a deep breath, and try again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter and it only connects to the prompt veerrry loosely, but I wanted to write something Katara-centric. Hope you enjoyed!


	13. One at a Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She raises her hand and rain stops in its path. She breathes and a pond freezes to ice. She circles her hand over a patch of fire lilies and they sway side to side.

Growing up, they taught him that water was weak. Pathetic. Worthless.

In battle, he learned that water is cold and unrelenting.

Tonight, he realizes that water is life, something that moves through his wife’s every action. She raises her hand and rain stops in its path. She breathes and a pond freezes to ice. She circles her hand over a patch of fire lilies and they sway side to side. She has a deep, intrinsic connection to nature that he can never comprehend. He can only watch in awe, her devoted spectator.

\--

She always thought that fire was impatient. Greedy. Hungry. She spent years fearing it, running from it. She thought it brought only pain.

But his fire is steady. Stable. Welcoming. He holds out his hand and illuminates the dark. He breathes and the air around him warms. He circles his hands over her back and releases the tense knots of her muscles one at a time. His fire isn’t the kind that consumes without control; it’s patient, vibrant. It makes her feel safe. She may be able to feel the push and pull of life, but his warmth can sustain it.


	14. Breathless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It started with just a couple headaches, then she felt dizzy if she’d been standing too long, then she was having to excuse herself from meetings to deposit the contents of her stomach into the nearest vase. At first, she thought it was just a minor illness, something that would pass in a couple days. But then a week went by, then two weeks, then three, and still no improvement.
> 
> On the fourth week, Mai and Ty Lee turn up at the palace with a large collection of healing teas, having heard of Katara’s illness from a few of their more well-connected family members. 

_I’ll only be gone a couple months,_ he’d said. _I’ll be back before you know it._

It wasn’t the first time he’d had to leave on a trip like this. Since his reign as Firelord began, he made sure to travel all around the Fire Nation and hear the struggles and successes of each province. His father had been the kind of leader who sat on his throne and let others do his bidding. Zuko wanted to get to know his nation in person.

But this was the first time Katara had fallen ill after he left. It started with just a couple headaches, then she felt dizzy if she’d been standing too long, then she was having to excuse herself from meetings to deposit the contents of her stomach into the nearest vase. At first, she thought it was just a minor illness, something that would pass in a couple days. But then a week went by, then two weeks, then three, and still no improvement.

On the fourth week, Mai and Ty Lee turn up at the palace with a large collection of healing teas, having heard of Katara’s illness from a few of their more well-connected family members. 

“Why don’t you write to Zuko?” Ty Lee asks as they sit together in Katara’s room, waiting for the water to boil. “I’m sure he’ll come right back as soon as he hears you’re sick.”

“And that’s exactly why I can’t tell him,” Katara says. “He’d just worry and insist on coming home early, and for what? It isn’t that bad, I’m sure I’ll get better soon.”

“Are you sure that’s the real reason you’re not telling Zuko?” Mai asks. Her voice is flat and monotone as ever, but her eyes glint with amusement.

Katara glares at her. “Of course,” she says.

Mai shrugs. “I’m just saying, have you considered that this might not be a sickness at all?”

Katara feels warmth rising to her cheeks and huffs indignantly, crossing her arms. “Of _course_ I have, but that’s not it. It’s not possible.”

Mai raises an eyebrow. “Really?”

Katara's flush deepens. “Okay, fine, I guess it’s possible.”

“You know,” Ty Lee says. “Your aura _does_ seem different. But not sick-different. It’s brighter.”

Katara groans, resting her face in her palms. “I can’t be pregnant,” she says. “I’m not ready. I can’t do this.”

Ty Lee rises and rushes across the room, kneeling beside Katara and putting her arm around her. “Hey, hey,” she says soothingly. “Of course you can. You’re going to be the best mom.”

Katara shakes her head. She thinks back to everything that’s happened in the past month, and everything that _hasn’t_ happened in the past month. She didn’t want to accept it, but hearing it from Mai and Ty Lee makes it all painfully clear. She’s pregnant.

Her whole body goes still and she feels as though all the breath has been knocked out of her. Shakily, she lifts her face from her hands and looks up at Ty Lee. “What am I going to do now?” she asks.

Ty Lee opens her mouth to respond, but it's Mai who answers. “Well, the first thing you’re going to do,” she says, pouring now-boiling water into a cup. “Is relax and drink some tea. I think we have a blend for morning sickness somewhere here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you reading! I just wanted to let you know that I'm currently working on a much longer work for the Zutara Holiday Exchange, and most of my writing energy is going to go toward that for the next week. I'm going to try to keep up with as many of these prompts as possible, but I'll probably end up missing more than I'd like.


	15. Obvious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Their meeting should be over by now. Maybe something’s holding them up. Maybe they’re in trouble.”
> 
> Toph scoffs. “Relax, Twinkletoes. They’re just fine.”
> 
> “And where do you think they are?” Aang asks.
> 
> “Isn’t it obvious?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! At this point, it's looking unlikely that I'll finish all the prompts by the end of the month, so I'll probably just cherry-pick my favorites.
> 
> This chapter takes place shortly after chapter 7 (the first kiss chapter).

“Should we go looking for them?” Aang asks, glancing at the two empty chairs at the table with concern.

Sokka shakes his head, reaching for the teapot in the middle of the table. “Nah,” he says, pouring water into his cup. “They’re probably just stuck in their meeting. They’ll be here soon.”

Suki chuckles lightly at that.

“What?” Sokka asks.

Suki shrugs. “Oh, nothing. I’m sure you’re right.” She looks across the table, meeting Ty Lee’s gaze. They share a knowing look.

“I don’t know,” Aang says, tapping his fingers nervously against the table surface. “Their meeting should be over by now. Maybe something’s holding them up. Maybe they’re in trouble.”

Toph scoffs. “Relax, Twinkletoes. They’re just fine.”

“And where do _you_ think they are?” Aang asks.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

At that moment, Zuko rushes into the dining room, face flushed and hair tousled. Katara races in after him, looking similarly disheveled. “Sorry we’re late,” Zuko says. “It was, uh, our meeting. It went long.”

“Yeah, there was a new…treaty,” Katara adds. “We had a long debate about it.”

“What’s the treaty for?” Mai asks, her voice betraying a hint of amusement.

Katara and Zuko look at each other for a moment. “It’s…uh…” Katara starts. “It’s about the Water Tribes. Obviously. That’s why I was part of the discussion.”

Zuko clears his throat before adding, “We’re really not at liberty to discuss it. It’s very serious business.”

“Of course,” Suki says, trying and failing to hold back a grin. She turns to Mai, Ty Lee, and Toph, who each wear similar smirks.

“Why wasn’t I part of the discussion?” asks Sokka. “No one told me about a Water Tribe treaty.”

At that, Suki finally loses control and bursts into a fit of laughter. Ty Lee and Toph join her. Mai simply continues to smirk. Sokka and Aang exchange a look of extreme confusion.

“What is going on?” Aang asks.

Toph grins, turning in Zuko and Katara’s direction. “What do you think, Sugar Queen?” she asks. “Do you want to tell them, or should I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fact that Zuko and Katara are canonically the worst liars is one of my favorite Zutara parallels.


	16. Stay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even after his banishment, he’d look forward to the summer, to warm days and calm seas. But now, he dreads it.
> 
> For summer is when she leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Returns to this fic two months late with Starbucks* Hi! Let's just pretend it's still December, time isn't real anyway.
> 
> Warning for angst/pining in this chapter!

It’s summer again.

Summer used to be his favorite season, when his inner fire was the strongest. He has fond memories of the summers him and his family spent at Ember Island, of Azula chasing him into the sea, of building sandcastles with Lu Ten. Even after his banishment, he’d look forward to the summer, to warm days and calm seas. But now, he dreads it.

For summer is when she leaves.

He understands why she has to. She needs to be with her family, to help her tribe. She has just as much a duty to the South Pole as he has to the Fire Nation. But each summer passes more lonely than before, the days stretching long and quiet in her absence. Their bed is too big without her. He wakes from nightmares and finds no arms around him, no comforting voice lulling him back to sleep. He spends night after night in his study, poring over legislature and treaties, burying himself in his work.

The night before she leaves is always the hardest. He holds her tight, clings to her desperately as though his embrace will stop the sun from rising, stop the coming day from taking her from him. He longs to ask her to stay with him just this once, just this one summer. But he knows even the question would be unfair.

So he doesn’t ask.

And she doesn’t stay.


End file.
